1 Valencia vs 1 Villarreal
Valencia take on Villarreal in weekend's Derbi de la Comunitat.
In desperate need of their first win, a struggling Valencia hosts an in-form Villarreal in Saturday’s Derbi de la Comunitat, aiming to turn their fortunes around in front of a home crowd at Estadio de Mestalla.
Valencia
Valencia's start to the La Liga season has been nothing short of disastrous, following three consecutive defeats for the first time since the 2016/17 campaign. The poor form has left Los Ches at the bottom of the table, following a midweek 1-0 loss to Athletic Club on Wednesday.
In that match, Valencia failed to register a shot on target. The situation has become increasingly dire for the Bats, who are winless in their last ten league matches (0W, 2D, 8L), a streak that dates back to last season.
This slump has significantly increased the pressure on head coach and club legend Rubén Baraja. After their latest setback, Baraja remained defiant. 'The way to get back up is not to complain; it’s hard work and little else.'
He’ll be hoping that his team can find the much-needed inspiration as they prepare to face Villarreal, a side they’ve had success against in the recent past, winning six of the last seven home encounters (6W, 1D, 0L). A 4-4-2 is expected from Rubén Baraja with Rafa Mir and Hugo Duro in attack.
Mouctar Diakhaby, Sergi Canos, and José Gayà will all be absent for Valencia due to injuries.
Villarreal
Villarreal picked up a 4-3 win over Celta Vigo on Monday night to remain unbeaten in their first three matches (2W, 1D, 0L). With back-to-back victories, Villarreal moved into 2nd place in the La Liga table with 7 points, just two points behind Barcelona.
A difficult fixture against Valencia in the Derbi de la Comunitat this weekend could serve as a litmus test for the club’s readiness to compete for a spot in the top end of the table. However, Villarreal's momentum may hit a snag in this derby.
Historically, the home team has dominated this fixture, with the last two episodes won by the home side. Remarkably, there hasn’t been an away victory in this La Liga clash in the last 13 head-to-head encounters.
Yet, Villarreal, who, under Marcelino’s guidance, have been formidable on the road—winning six of their last ten away league matches (6W, 3D, 1L)—will be looking to break the 13-game jinx and secure a rare away win. A 4-4-2 formation with Arnaut Danjuma teaming up with Gerard Moreno in attack is expected.
Marcelino will be without Juan Foyth, who is out with a knee injury. Also, Alfonso Pedraza and Denis Suárez will not feature for the Yellow Submarine due to injuries.
Team form
Showing the latest five games—giving you a quick look at recent performance trends. Teams in good form tend to do well in the next match.
Team Comparison
Side-by-side assessment of team statistics, including goals, attacks, and more. This allows you to directly compare key performance metrics. Analyzing these stats can reveal patterns and strengths that might influence the outcome.